BA7 gearbox oil
- Thread starter keithm
- Start date
You should be using engine oil in the gearbox.
When i was an apprentice I filled a morry minor box with gear oil and it shit big time a month later
When i was an apprentice I filled a morry minor box with gear oil and it shit big time a month later
The gearboxes haven't changed so it still applies
Dad did his apprenticeship on 504 505 604. They say engine oil but 80 90 is preferred. I run 80 90 in everything and no drams. Depends what you want.
Put g70 nulon in too. Puts teflon coating on gears.
Put g70 nulon in too. Puts teflon coating on gears.
Those gearboxes are getting older and more worn. Even 25 years ago, Maxim Motors in Brisbane (now closed) used to regularly put 80/90 goil in 504 gearboxes, without a problem.
The thing to watch out for is the oil level. They leak slowly from the gear linkage at the bottom and if you're one of those people who rarely checks gearbox oil, the thing will end up screwed.
The thing to watch out for is the oil level. They leak slowly from the gear linkage at the bottom and if you're one of those people who rarely checks gearbox oil, the thing will end up screwed.
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2000
- Messages
- 11,455
I use transaxle oil, as in FWD models, in my BA7/5. Reckon this would have all the latest improvements in gear oil technology.
Another option is Penrite gearbox oils that are specifically designed for cars that originally specified engine oil for the gearbox. They are a multigrade oil and available in two grades, 20W-60 and 25W-70
penriteoil.com.au
penriteoil.com.au
GEAR BOX OIL 30 | Penrite Oil
Gear Box Oil 30 is a multigrade gearbox oil designed specifically for use in vehicles that originally used the same oil in the gearbox as was recommended and used in the engine. Many vehicles manufactured in the fifties and sixties specified engine oil for use in the gearbox. Whilst this was...
penriteoil.com.au
GEAR BOX OIL 40 | Penrite Oil
Gear Box Oil 40 is a multigrade gearbox oil designed specifically for use in vehicles that originally used the same oil in the gearbox as was recommended and used in the engine. Many vehicles manufactured in the fifties and sixties specified engine oil for use in the gearbox. Whilst this was...
penriteoil.com.au
^ Excellent...I never knew those oils existed !
Penrite really is high-grade oil, and although it is a bit more expensive than other brands, it's worth every cent. Plus, if you do your own oil changes you save a heap anyway.
I used to have a plastic tube with a funnel on the end specifically for doing my 504 and 505 gearboxes. If it's the right length, you just balance the funnel in the engine bay and gravity does the rest.
Penrite really is high-grade oil, and although it is a bit more expensive than other brands, it's worth every cent. Plus, if you do your own oil changes you save a heap anyway.
I used to have a plastic tube with a funnel on the end specifically for doing my 504 and 505 gearboxes. If it's the right length, you just balance the funnel in the engine bay and gravity does the rest.
I've been using 75W 90 GL4 gearbox oil for a couple of years now
All good so far thank God
All good so far thank God
504 BA 7/4 gearbox oil
Hello everyone I was wondering if anyone uses anything other than 10w40 engine oil in their 4 speed boxes. I've been using it for quite a few years now with no issues. When looking for gearbox oil for the 5 speed manual 308, I came across some GL-4 spec oils (75W-80 or 90) which...
www.aussiefrogs.com
Since we're on the topic,
For the BA7/5, I have always used what I used in the engine...Penrite HPR 15, which is now fully synthetic (where it was once either semi-synthetic or mineral, iirc). All the people who should know tell me that is a good choice...but I note that its rating was 15W-50, but is actually now 15W-60. I wonder if:
1/. the difference between 10W-40 (I think that's the recommended rating) and 15W-50 is significant enough to perhaps be a problem and, if not;
2/. what about the 'extra ten' it now has to apparently make it 15W-60 ? (I don't think this would be a problem, but it's worth asking).
The biggest issue, I think, is to make sure that the oil level is kept up at the proper level by checking it regularly. I have seen a couple of failures (input shaft to main shaft bearing seems to be the most vulnerable) which had to be as a result of the oil level getting only a little bit below what it should be, and they (the BA7/5 at least) are notorious for leaking small amounts via the selector shafts which can add up, over only a few months, to being enough of a loss to cause a problem.
For the BA7/5, I have always used what I used in the engine...Penrite HPR 15, which is now fully synthetic (where it was once either semi-synthetic or mineral, iirc). All the people who should know tell me that is a good choice...but I note that its rating was 15W-50, but is actually now 15W-60. I wonder if:
1/. the difference between 10W-40 (I think that's the recommended rating) and 15W-50 is significant enough to perhaps be a problem and, if not;
2/. what about the 'extra ten' it now has to apparently make it 15W-60 ? (I don't think this would be a problem, but it's worth asking).
The biggest issue, I think, is to make sure that the oil level is kept up at the proper level by checking it regularly. I have seen a couple of failures (input shaft to main shaft bearing seems to be the most vulnerable) which had to be as a result of the oil level getting only a little bit below what it should be, and they (the BA7/5 at least) are notorious for leaking small amounts via the selector shafts which can add up, over only a few months, to being enough of a loss to cause a problem.
I think people overfill the gearbox and the excess leaks out.
The way that these gearboxes are filled, as you may know, makes it very difficult to overfill them. The selector shafts are notorious for leaking...only small leaks, but they add up and need to be checked more often than people often bother with.
To get just a little more oil in, I used to jack up the side I was filling from so it was a bit higher. Or you could do it on the side of a road. They often have a camber.
After a while you get to know how often to top em up. Mine used to be every engine oil change, and a complete gearbox oil change every second engine oil change.
After a while you get to know how often to top em up. Mine used to be every engine oil change, and a complete gearbox oil change every second engine oil change.
How does one check the oil level?
For years I used to fill to the bottom of the filling plug hole.
The last time I re-filled the 504 box I put 1.15L in (That's what the book says). The level did not come up to the bottom of the filling plug hole.
I only had the box apart once, but seem to remember that inside where the vertical selector shaft comes through the area around where the shaft protrudes is raised. Maybe the filling level is just below this surface.
I must admit that mine has leaked for nearly 50 years, not so much lately though.
I have done the 'jack the right side up a little' trick, probably only amounted to about 100ml over the level. No problems at all...to create a serious overfill issue would be difficult to do on them, imo....but from what I have seen (the 5 speed only), they can easily suffer damage if only down on the level by a small amount, so I'd much rather have it slightly high than slightly low.
As for leaks ...yes the selector shafts are known for it, and that's not from being overfilled; on the 5 speed the gate selector shaft doesn't appear to be able to be serviced, which to me is a bit ridiculous. Anyway, they need to be checked more often than a lot of people seem to realise.
The only check I do is if the selector shaft bottom lever has no oil drips on it THEN there is probably no oil in the box!
I have been using Total 85w-90 Manual Gearbox oil in my BA 10/5 gearbox since 2011, including my BA 7/5 gearbox. No gearbox issues on both.
Lion-King Monk
Lion-King Monk
I have been using engine oil in my manual 504Ti 4 speed since March 1974. No gearbox issues (excepting the odd oil leak).